David Veilleux has won the fourth stage of the Tour of Pennsylvania, and moved up to second in the overall standings, one second behind Christoff Van Heerden (RSA, Konica Minolta), after starting the day in fourth, five seconds out of the lead. Amy Smolens spoke to Veilleux both before and after the stage.

Pre-race

Amy Smolens: Yesterday Van Vooren kept the leader's jersey through the climbs. Today's a short but difficult day - do you think maybe he and his team did too much work yesterday and maybe today you can take time from him?

David Veilleux: We didn't try yesterday. I think with (Peter) Stetina in front leaving on the first climb I knew if the pack would come back we would catch him easily. So that's what we did, I didn't try really hard to get in front. I did climb the first time pretty well, I finished on top with the first group, like six guys so it's pretty good. I don't know how this is going to be today.

AS: Is today essentially the last chance you have?

DV: Not really because tomorrow is going to be really hard. It doesn't really look like big climbs or anything but it looks like smaller rollers all the time and guys getting tired from the week so I think tomorrow may be a better day to surprise and maybe do something. We'll see how things go today, I will try to stay the most in front I can but we'll definitely like to have the pack back again at the end.

AS: What has Jonas Carney told you about today's profile?

DV: It's pretty hard and I think the first climb is pretty much the same as the first yesterday, the difference is that in between the two climbs looks really hard with big rollers and then another climb. So it's short and it's going to be really aggressive.

Post-race

Amy Smolens: Talk about how the race developed out there today.

David Veilleux: On the climb it was pretty straightforward. I think VMG wanted to go big today and Praties, the Australian team did too. So going into the first climb it was Praties and VMG setting the tempo, it cleaned the pack and the guys who stayed, it was like a few guys and then another group came back on and after that we kept rolling together. Same thing on the second big one (climb,) it was pretty much VMG taking care of the pack and the ZteaM, too. And going to the finish it was just everyone attacking.

AS: And then how did the finale go and how did you outsprint Christoff Van Heerden?

DV: I just took a chance for the sprint and I kind of went a early a little bit so I probably surprised him.

AS: Were you surprised that you dropped Van Vooren on the climbs, who had the Yellow Jersey?

DV: Well, yesterday he wasn't really there (but he did finish with the front group, with Veilleux) so I wasn't thinking he would make it. I was kind of surprised that the South African (Van Heerden, who took both the Yellow and Green Jerseys today) made it. But it was good for me, if he (Van Heerden) gets the jersey it's good and tomorrow it's going to be the final day (final road stage) and we'll give it everything we have.

AS: Everything you have for just one second.

DV: Yeah, one second...

AS: So second place overall moves from your teammate Keven Lacombe to you. It's been a good week for Kelly Benefit Strategies, hasn't it?

DV: Yeah, it's great. I mean, I would have liked Keven to have been here with me, it would have been two guys up in the GC but Keven did everything he could today, I know and he kind of came up short a little bit to catch us. It's good and maybe he will try to bring back some points to get back his Green (Sprinter's) Jersey.

AS: And a stage win here for you has got to be satisfying.

DV: Yeah, it's been great. I mean I think we're at a good level. Keven won a stage (Stage 2 Wednesday) and yesterday (I got) a third. Yeah, the team has been always on the podium since the first stage so it's been pretty good for us.

Courtesy Organization

With just 60 miles in front of them at the start of Stage 4 this morning in Bedford, the 91 riders at the start line steeled themselves for what they expected would be the most demanding leg of the American Eagle OutfittersÂ® Tour of Pennsylvania presented by Highmark Healthy High 5Â®. They weren't disappointed.

Torrential bouts of rain and nearly 7,000 feet of climbing through the Allegheny Mountains tested their legs and their endurance and, in the end, revealed the new overall race leaderË† South Africa's Christoff Van Heerden (Konica Minolta).

After sitting consistently in third place in the general classification, Van Heerden jumped into the American Eagle Outfitters lead yellow jersey after struggling over the day's two decisive climbs to stick with the lead group of 12 riders. He took over the leading role after gaining more than two minutes over his GC competitors from Belgium, Steven Van Vooren (Johan Bruyneel Cycling Academy), and Canada, Keven LaCombe (Kelley Benefit Strategies-Medifast), who were not represented up front.

Van Heerden's current overall lead is just one second ahead of today's stage winner, Canadian David Veilleux (Kelly Benefit Strategies-Medifast), who is second in the overall standings, and Brazilian Stefano Barberi (Z Team) who holds third place overall.

"All I really had to do was sit on at the back of the bunch and keep my eye on Veilleux in the end," said Van Heerden who also leads the Best Sprinter competition. "Luckily, I was able to stay up front with the climbers today, and that is what really helped me. The rain also might have slowed the peloton down behind us because it was really tricky and winding Ë† giving us a bigger advantage."

The sun finally broke through at the finish line in Latrobe just in time for the crowds to watch the exciting but tricky sprint finale on Main Street. Veilleux proved to be the fastest sprinter, taking a convincing victory of several bike lengths ahead of the South African race leader and Dutchman Dennis Luyt (Global Cycling).

"I think there is less than a second between us, and so I think tomorrow is going to decide everything," said the French-Canadian stage winner. "It was really hard today, constantly up and down even between the two KOMs. The goal today was to stay with the main group. My team has been riding great this week, and I am looking forward to the next couple of stages."

Black clouds loomed over the talented international U-25 peloton as they rolled out for their first 15 miles before turning upward for a difficult climb to Bald Knob Summit, the first VisitPA.com KOM for the day. Bald Knob Summit was an almost six-mile climb with grades of 10% to15 % that decided the day's top climbers.

After the previous stage's memorable 40-mile solo effort, VisitPA.com Best Climber leader from Boulder, Colo., Peter Stetina (VMG-Felt) continued to pick up points, capturing the red and white polka-dotted jersey for the second consecutive stage. The 21- year-old stretched his legs over the first ascent to single-handedly form a lead group of 12 riders in tow.

Deep into the climbs through the Allegheny Mountains, the peloton continued to follow the road that General John Forbes and the young George Washington paved 250 years earlier on the historic Forbes Trail Expedition Ë† a turning point in American history that changed the course of the French and Indian War with the capture of the French at Fort Duquesne.

After a slight rolling descent, the lead group of 12 riders continued the arduous drudge up hill, in the pouring rain, to crest atop Laurel Hill Summit, where Stetina won the second and final KOM. This 1.8 mile climb was shorter but with a very intense mountain pass that presented grades of 15%.

Gaining more than two minutes on their nearest competitors, the lead group of 12 became highly animated with just over three miles to go. American Alex Welch (Team VRC) earned himself the Forbes Trail Most Aggressive Rider jersey when he gained a several second advantage on his breakaway companions with 2.5 miles to go.